One of the more common methods of insulating a metal building is to use faced insulation which is pulled into place over the roof purlins. Roof paneling is then installed on top of the insulation compressing it at the purlin points. The insulation is usually a glass fiber blanket having a thickness of from 2" to 6". The blanket width is from 2' to 6' depending upon a range of factors.
An interior facing for the insulation is pre-applied by an insulation laminator and is normally formed of vinyl, combinations of polyester films and aluminum foil, or other known materials. The insulation facing is used for several reasons, the primary one being to serve as a vapor retarder. The facing retards the flow of moisture from the warm building interior to the cold exterior. Without the facing forming a vapor retarder, condensation could occur within the insulation blanket and/or on the cooler roof paneling.
The normal roof installation sequence is to pull the insulation blanket across the roof from eave-to-eave or from eave-to-ridge. The roof panels are then installed on the insulation. The insulation blanket is placed out ahead of the paneling by the normal width of the insulation blanket. It is strictly a lightweight product with little or no load carrying ability. The risk exists that an installer might step off of the in-place paneling onto the insulation and fall through the latter causing serious injury. Installers are aware of the danger but accidents occur due to momentary lack of attention.
Accordingly, the objective of this invention is to provide safety reinforced roof insulation having the ability to support a workman who inadvertently steps onto the insulation blanket while installing the roof of a metal building.
More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a safety reinforced insulation blanket having an interior facing and a reinforcement formed of tapes or netting forming an integral part of the insulation blanket and being laminated between the insulation material and the interior facing so as to be concealed within the blanket without detracting from the final interior appearance of the installed blanket.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description.